What could happen if we don’t read the use modes and warnings on the labels?!

Precautions of use for particular products

Remember that some cosmetic, if not used properly, can be dangerous to your health; in fact, cosmetic products that contain ingredients in concentrations higher than allowed might be harmful.

These products contain on the label the use modes and some warnings related to the nature of the substances used (i.e. “rinse immediately in case of contact with the product”, “can cause an allergic reaction”, “do not use on children under three years of age”, “avoid contact with the eyes”).

Handling precautions when products contain specific ingredients

The European cosmetic regulation does not envisage to carry specific warnings for product types, but only some warnings related to cosmetic ingredients used.

Articolo 19 comma 1 lettera d) del Regolamento europeo 1223/2009 It states that, when in a cosmetic product there are some specific ingredients, listed in the attachments, is mandatory to label

“special usage precautions, or at least those precautions set out in Annexes III to VI and any special precautionary information concerning cosmetic products for professional use”.

Is thus the presence of a particular ingredient that requires the obligation to report on the label some special precautions.

For example, if a cosmetic contains “Zinc phenolsulfonate”, the label must indicate the following warning “avoid contact with eyes.”

This information must be provided on the label of the container in contact with the cosmetic product and the packaging.

If, from a practical point of view, it is impossible to report this information on the label, this must be indicated on a sheet, a label, a tag or a band enclosed or attached to the cosmetic product.

In these cases the label must include a reference of such information, or in abbreviated form or using this symbol:

This reminder has to appear both on the label of the container and on the packaging.

Sunscreen products

During the summer there’s an extensive usage of a specific category of cosmetics, sunscreen products.

Sunscreens contain substances capable to “filter” the sun’s rays, so that these are not harmful to health.